The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) has officially labeled the detention of 49 individuals who participated in the July 11, 2021, protests in Cuba as "arbitrary," citing political and ideological motives, as well as a lack of due process and legal defense.
This determination, made after a process in which the Cuban regime was allowed to present its defense, was driven by the Madrid-based organization Prisoners Defenders, which lodged complaints under the cases 23 and 149 of 2021.
The UN body further acknowledged that these detainees endured "multiple crimes against humanity," including enforced disappearances, torture, prolonged solitary confinement, and severe violations of their human rights.
Consequently, the UN urged the Cuban government to promptly release and compensate the affected individuals.
While this acknowledgment supports the allegations made by opposition groups on the island, Cubans maintain that the number of arbitrary arrests during the July 11 protests far exceeds the figures confirmed by the United Nations.
"The regime tacitly agreed with the arguments and evidence presented by Prisoners Defenders," the organization stated in a release, noting that Havana did not offer a defense in this instance before the WGAD.
The working group also highlighted that none of the detainees or their families have received copies of the arrest or pretrial detention orders, and that several individuals were tried in military courts, a breach of due process by international standards.
With these 49 cases, Cuba is now considered the country with the highest number of arbitrary detentions globally since 2019, with 93 victims acknowledged by the United Nations. Following Cuba are Egypt with 73 and Bahrain with 70.
Additionally, Cuba, Turkey, and Nicaragua are the only three countries condemned by the organization in mass opinions, meaning resolutions involving more than ten victims.
The report outlines that, in Cuba, repression is part of a systematic and collective pattern.
Systematic Control and Repression
These detentions are not isolated incidents but rather elements of a political and social control model where police forces, prosecutors, and courts operate under a unified state-driven repressive framework.
"In Cuba, prisons serve as mechanisms of social control and state terrorism," Prisoners Defenders declared.
"Prisons are punishments, but they also serve as intimidating messages to the entire society," the report states.
The document also ranks Cuba fourth globally in terms of enforced disappearances, according to the UN Committee on Enforced Disappearances, with 193 cases documented since 2012.
Unlike other countries where disappearances are attributed to criminal groups or mafias, in Cuba, "the only mafia responsible is the government itself," Prisoners Defenders stated.
The WGAD emphasized that the cases in Cuba violate at least six of the eleven crimes against humanity defined by the Rome Statute.
Between 2019 and 2025, the UN has issued 93 opinions on arbitrary detentions in Cuba, all with conclusions adverse to the regime.
Prisoners Defenders has represented the victims in 87% of these cases, establishing a historic record of condemnations against the Cuban state.
Understanding Arbitrary Detentions in Cuba
What led the UN to declare the July 11 arrests in Cuba as arbitrary?
The UN declared the July 11 arrests as arbitrary due to political and ideological motives, and a lack of due process and legal defense for the detainees, as highlighted by the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention.
How has Prisoners Defenders contributed to highlighting these human rights violations?
Prisoners Defenders, based in Madrid, has been instrumental in bringing these cases to light by presenting complaints to the United Nations, resulting in formal condemnations of the Cuban regime.
What does the UN report say about the pattern of repression in Cuba?
The report describes the repression in Cuba as part of a systematic and collective pattern of control, with police, prosecutors, and courts acting under a unified repressive framework driven by the state.